Apparatus for ornamenting watch-cases



(No Model.)

B. O. U PPATTE'. APPARATU$ FOR ORNA TING WATCH GASES, 850- No. 427,501. Patented May 6, 1890.

wl r'uzssesz NITED STATES arnnr Mimi EDIVARD C. CIIAPPATTE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ORNAMENTING WATC'H CASES, &C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,501, dated May 6, 1890.

Application filed August 14, 1889. Serial No. 320,671. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. CHAPPATTE,

of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Engraving, of which the following is a specification. Myinvention has reference to apparatus for imparting a mechanically-ornamented surface to watch-case covers and other articles; and it consists of certain improvements, all of which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

In carrying out my invention I employ dies adapted to receive the article to be ornamented and having their shape made in conformity to the shape of the said article. In addition to this, the face of the die which is to impart the ornamentation is cut with the reverse of the configuration or design which it is desired to impart to the metal to be treated. The gold, silver, or filled-metal article to be ornamented is placed between the dies in proper position, and then said dies are subjected to heavy pressure. The pressure is preferably imparted by passing the dies between two rolls. It will be seen that if the article is a watch-case cover completely finished except for the ornamentation it can be placed in such dies and have one surface alone engraved or impressed, while leaving the other or inner face of the cover smooth, as is customary. Bymaking the engraved face of the die sharply defined the result produced on the cover will very closely approach hand-engraving in general effect. Practice has shown that this is an excellent substitute for hand-engraving, and for WOl'kWVlllClI is duplicated in large quantities, like watchcases, it materially reduces the cost of engraving. I In some designs the effect may be heightened by touching up the work with hand-tools, though ordinarily this is not necessary. It is seldom that any work is engraved on both sides, and hence one of the dies is formed with a surface which conforms with the curvatures or irregularities of the back, while the other conforms to the general shape of the face to be treated and has as much of its surface as may be desired engraved for impressing the article.

This invention is excellent for ordinary gold and silver articles, but is especially useful in articles made of filled metalsuch as a base metal covered with gold, and where v ordinary hand-engraving is apt to cut through the gold into the base metal, leaving the latter exposed. 1th this invention the gold. layer is simply molded into shape to give the effect of engraving, and where the depression into its surface is deep the base metal will also be more or less molded or shaped upon the side next to the engraved surface.

I have found that to make satisfactory work the dies must be fitted together so as to take in the article to be treated and avoid shifting, and then subjected to a slowly but positively applied pressure, which will give the metal time to flow under the pressure applied and avoid all needless cutting or perforating of the outer skin of precious metal when a covered or filled-metal article is being treated.

In this application I do not claim the process of ornamentin g watclrcases or other articles as is herein disclosed, or the article of manufacture itself thus ornamented, as this form s subj ectmatterof other pending applications, Serial Nos. 820,669 and 320,670, respectively, filed on the Iith day of August, 1889.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of engraving-dies adapted for holding a watclrcase cover between them.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a pair of rolls for applying the pressure to the dies. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation through a watchcase cover having its outer surface ornamented by my improved process, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of a portion of a metal plate having an irregular back and face and in which the face only is ornamented.

A is the female die, and B is the male die. These dies are held together in proper position during the operation of ornamenting the article by the guide projections a; and the male portion D of one die fitting the recessed or female portion 0 of the other die. These dies, more specifically speaking, have their outer edges E beveled off, so as to enter between the rolls more readily.

' The male portion D of the die 13 is made smooth on its under surface and surrounded with an annular recess d for receiving the snap portion or rim of the cover, and the middle portion 0 of the female part 0 of die A is engraved or cut to impart the requisite impression to the cover. These dies should be so formed that they will not mutilate or disturb the shape of the article to be ornamented, as it is proposed to finish the articles, so far as general shape and finish are concerned, before subjecting them to the ornamenting process. To this end there are large surfaces of the two dies which may come into direct contact around the article being treated to prevent excessive pressure being applied where it is not wanted. By this means the article is solidified and strengthened in the last operation to which it is subj ected-an appreciable advantage where the article is made of filled or composition metal. These dies when placed together with the article between them are passed between the rolls L and K, which are positively rotated by hand or power.

The pressure obtained by passing the dies between rollers is gradual and even and only exerted upon a small portion of the blank at one time, so that much less pressure-power is required than if the dies were placed between pressure-applying devices which subjected the whole surface of the blank to pressure at one time.

The watch-case cov'erF when removed from the dies and cut in two will have the con struction such as shown in Fig. 4.. From this figure it will be seen that the base-metal center H is covered on each side with a thin layer of gold, as shown at G and I. The middle of the lower face I at J is pressed or formed by the engraved part c of the die A into the reverse of said engraved portion of the die, and wherever the impression is deep it extends to a slight degree into the base metal as well, as is shown in the drawings.

I11 Fig. 5 the same general result is shown, only that in this case the surface of both faces is irregular and would require corresponding irregularity in the dies. In this figure I have also shown in dotted lines the upper surface ornamented, as would take place if both the dies were engraved.

I do not confine myself to watch-case covers, as my invention is applicable to many kinds of articles.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a male and female die having their adjacent surfaces formed to leave a space which shall approximately correspond to the shape of the article to be ornamented, and having a part of said dies en graved with the figure or design it is desired to impart to the article.

2. The combination of a male and female die held upon each other against displacement, and having their adjacent surfaces made to leave a space which shall approximately correspond to the shape of the article to be ornamented, and having a part of said dies engraved with the figure or design it is'desired to impart to the article, and mechanical power-applying devices independent of the dies for forcing them together.

3. The combination of male and female dies provided with guide portions to hold them against relative displacement, and with supporting-surfaces to limit the movement of the dies toward each other, and also provided with portions shaped to leave a space which shall approximately correspond to the shape of the article to be treated, and having the surface of one or both of such portions engraved with the reverse of the design or designs which it is desired to impress into the article being treated.

4E. The combination of male and female dies provided with guide portions to hold them against relative displacement and with supporting-surfaces to limit the movement of l the dies toward each other, and also provided with portions shaped to leave a space which shall approximately correspond to the shape of the article to be treated, and having the surfaces of one or both of such portions engraved with the reverse of the design or designs which it is desired to impress upon the article being treated, and a pair of rolls between which the said dies are passed.

5. The combination of a pair of dies having adjacent portions formed to leave a space which shall approximately conform to the shape of the article to be treated, and also having a portion of one of the adjacent surfaces engraved with the reverse of the design which it is desired to impress upon the article, with a pair of rolls between which the'dies are passed.

6. The combination of a pair of dies having guides to prevent displacement and adjacent portions formed to leave a space which shall approximately conform to the shape of .the article to be treated, and also having a portion of one of the adjacent surfaces engraved with a design the reverse of what it is desired to impress upon the article, and in addition thereto having their surfaces parallel beyond the portions adapted to hold the article to be treated, with a pair of' rolls between which the dies are passed.

7. The combination of the die A, having the recessed or female portion 0, corresponding to the outer surface of a watch-case cover and provided with the engraved part c, with the die B, having the male portion D and annular recess d, corresponding approximately to the inner face of the cover.

ICO

8. The combination of the die A, having the In testimony of Which invention I have IO recessed or female portion 0, corresponding hereunto set my hand. to the outer surface of a Watch-ease cover, pro:

vided with the'engraved part c, and also hav- EDWARD C. OI-IAPPATTE.

ing the guides a at each end, with the die B,

fitted between the guides at and having the Witnesses: male portion D and annular recess d, corre- FR. MINK,

sponding approximately to the inner face of GEORGE WV. EKINGS. the cover. 

